Halo: Down Time
by Mediumcool2000
Summary: Nap time for the Rookie is harder then it looks.  Takes place right before the final cutscene of ODST.
1. The Rookie

ONI Orbital Facility

November 20 2552

1 month after New Mombasa drop

J.D. inhaled the stale recycled air that made him feel more as if he was in a hospital than a space station. He thought it certainly wasn't lit like a hospital while he walked out of the mess hall into the main hallway.

A group of fellow troopers rushed past in full armor to what he guessed was a mission. ODST's typically weren't stationed on ONI facilities but the war on Earth had forced all able bodied troops on mission rotations; while one set of troops went out on a mission, another got to rest. But the rest periods were fairly short, especially for his squad since they were assigned to watch over Vergil, the recently captured engineer when not going out on missions for ONI.

It wasn't a hard assignment. Vergil was mostly harmless and did nothing but attempt to repair broken pieces of equipment that was brought to it. When not doing that it often floated around and explored wherever it was allowed to go, as always with at least two escorts, which was the assigned duty of his squad when not going out to drops. The only complaint, mostly from Romeo, was how much Vergil smelled. For Romeo to complain about anything was nothing new and he got his fair share of bitchig on the mission they went on eariler.

They had just gotten the news when they returned that Sergeant Major Johnson was coming to help with interrogations in an hour so the squad had some time to kill. That gave J.D. time his indulge in his favorite hobby; napping.


	2. Dutch

ONI Orbital Facility

November 20 2552

1 month after New Mombasa drop

The Rookie turned and entered the barracks. He was looking forward to laying on his bunk and drifiting off to sleep when he heard Dutch's voice booming throughout the dimly lit barracks.

"He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe!" he read out loud from his bible as he stood under a ceiling lamp. His face full of passion and strength that was a common sight for those that knew him.

J.D. liked Dutch. In fact almost all the Marines liked Dutch, even though some of thought of him as overly preachy but the Rookie discovered Dutch had a way about him that made you like him. In his first days in the squad, Dutch was the one who talked to him the most aside from Gunnery Sergeant Buck. The Rookie appreciated the effort, especially when it came to dealing with Romeo's gruff attitude. The fact that Romeo and Dutch were good friends was a testament to J.D. of Dutch's character. Everyone knew that he'd make a great commander of his own squad one day.

Several Marines and ODST's sat next to each other across their bunks while others sat on their lockers near Dutch as he read aloud. Others who didn't mind the sermon either were either able to sleep or ignore him and relax in their own way.

It was a common site these days since the war had come to Earth and so many of their brothers and sisters in arms were dead. Almost everyone was thinking that this was the end of humanity, especially since they had lost all of the Spartans.

With a grunt, The Rookie slumped his shoulders in frustration. He could never sleep when Dutch was preaching because he preached with all the flair and drama he could as if he was an actor. A bad actor the squad would joke but right now J.D. was in no mood since he was tired and wanted to get some sleep before Sergeant Johnson would arrive.

He quickly walked over to the locker next to his bunk and grabbed his ODST helmet. Dutch's voice began to crescedo over another passage but J.D. was already in the hallway.


	3. Buck

Buck

ONI Orbital Station

1 month after New Mombasa Drop

The door to the darkened supply hall opened and spilled a faint beam of light onto the floor as J.D. walked inside. With all the noise of a scurrying mouse, he closed the door behind him and turned the light off before going deeper into row of shelves of supplies. It didn't take long for him to find the box of extra blankets and make himself a makeshift bed. J.D. in a darkened corner of the room. Napping in unauthorized areas was a violation of protocol but he would be able to hear anyone coming long before they found him. If need be, he'd also be able to sneak out.

His muscles soon loosened and sank into the soft mound of fabric he rested on. With his helmet resting on his chest armor, he allowed the curtains of his eyes to fall. The world could end another time. Right now all he knew was his own sweet darkness of human rest.

The sound of clattering metal woke him. He looked around and down at his watch. It had only been three minutes. For a brief moment he thought the person may leave after getting some supplies but the sound was also mixed with…laughing?

"Mmm hmm. Good to see you haven't forgotten that one." Said Captain Veronica Dare.

With his eyebrows raised, J.D. quickly and silently began to move towards the sound. He found Dare as she was stripping off parts of the ballistic armor she wore. None of her skin was showing as she was still in the underlying black suit much to the Rookie's dismay. Furthering his dismay was his sergeant..

"Jeez. How do you get these fuckin straps off?" complained Buck

The thought of seeing Captain Dare in her skivvies was something he wouldn't mind seeing. She certainly was attractive. Once or twice she flirted with him but everyone knew that Dare only had eyes for Buck, and the thought of seeing him naked wasn't something J.D. wanted at all.

"Surprised it took you this long to survive if you couldn't get the straps on." She remarked.

"Well…I….can say that the charm school you went to was certainly worth the money." Buck retorted as she pushed him aside and undid her breast plate before returning to kissing him.

"You think…with…your mouth…you should've been…shot more….a big target." she squeezed out between kisses. Another piece of Buck's ODST armor hit the ground with a clang.

"You think…with your…mouth you would've been….promoted…beyond…Captain."

Dare vehemently pushed Buck away at the comment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Dare as she took a step back.

"It means you certainly have a way of _lying_ to all the other suckers before me."

"Oh this again. Good to know your opinion _sergeant_." She responded as she turned her back to him and grabbed her gear.

Buck reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving but Dare threw a right hook at Buck. However he was ready this time as he blocked the punch and wrapped his arms around Dare and held her tightly. The Rookie flexed his leg, ready to jump to the rescue if things got out of hand.

Dare struggled and tried to kick as her face contorted in frustration and anger. Buck only managed to hold on tighter.

"Let me go Buck. That's an _order_!" she hissed

"No. Not until you talk to me about us Veronica. No ONI. No war. No Marines. Just you and me."

Dare let out a breathe in acceptance and shook her head, wagging her small golden pony tail.

"Buck…let's not…"

"No. Lets." Retorted Buck as his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. "Now us being out there under ONI command, being shot at Covies is one thing. Me and my men can handle that. But me and you…I ain't one to be accustomed to lookin like a gorram fool. Not again. So tell me _Captain._ Do you remember what I asked you that night?"

Buck let go and took a step back from her. Veronica met his stare and as she looked for the right words.

"Eddie." The words were soft from her lips. "It's…not that simple. My job…our jobs…"

"…can be worked around. You think in our line of work it'd be easy for either of us with anyone else? What else you got?"

The Rookie crouched back down. He looked around the room but with Dare and Buck less than a foot away, his escape had a high chance of being noticed. At the moment, his own curiosity at the situation was also something that also retarded his escape attempt.

"There are things that I just can't tell you." She said

"Oh really? You ever think to yourself there are things that _I_ can'tt tell _you?_ "

Buck backed up with a haughty smile one would expect to see on a child.

"Ha! What would that be? How many times you threw up in your pod?"

"That only happened _twice!_"

"Really? Or how about how your days as a ranch hand on Shadow and how your nickname was cowpie?"

"Wah wait. You know?" said Buck as his eyebrows cocked in shock. "No one knew that."

"Office of Naval _Intelligence_."

"Since you know everything, what was your answer to my question that night?

A beat of silence passed between them before both of them let out a sigh of frustration and release.

"Do we always have to do this? Why is the answer important to you?"

"Cause we all make it sooner or later. Me and my kind, getting old is a luxury. All the Spartans are gone. Most of the colonies are glassed. And Reach..."

Dare stepped closer and caressed his cheek

"Truth be told…" he said as his tone softened.

"Go on."

"…if I don't make it or if….God forbid you don't, I'd want to know the answer. Since you came back…it's…you're just one hell of a woman. Kind you see only once. Kind that's worth more than a Spartan."

Veronica grabbed the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair, pulled him in for a kiss. Deep, passionate and searing.

Rookie took that as his cue to leave. Foreplay was a great distraction as he put on his helmet and navigated with all the stealth he had to the door to leave the two to some privacy. He set the door to lock on his way out and as it closed, he heard Dare's voice say:

"The answer to your question Buck, it's…."


	4. Romeo

Romeo

ONI Orbital Installation

1 month after New Mombasa drop

The Rookie turned on his mission clock inside his helmet. Digital numbers displayed 15:15.

He sighed and figured he had about forty minutes before the sergeant major arrived. With one of his hiding spots compromised, the Rookie went to one of the only places where he and he alone found it comfortable enough to sleep, his drop pod.

Sleeping in the pod was considered bad luck for ODST's. So often the pods would become their final destination since so many things could and have gone wrong in the history of the program. Often even marines joked that the pods were really just coffins since the UNSC was just too cheap to get them nice ones.

Lately the schedules of drops have been erratic so he double timed it to the pod bay so he doubled timed it over.

The sight of the drop pods all lined up looking as they were in line for inspection brought a weary smile crossed his face under the helmet. He walked over to the closest one and was about to kick up his feet when a banging sound came from one of the pods. Looking in the direction of the sound, J.D. could only see fog staining the glass. Again he took careful steps and approached silently. His hand brushed against the pistol strapped to his leg for reassurance in case there was trouble.

When he was at least a foot away, he could better make out the image of two figures inside of the pod, explaining the condensation. Then he could carefully make out suppressed voices. One of the voices seemed familiar. J.D. couldn't make out what was being said but he knew it one of the voices was a woman's voice. Finally close enough, he could see Romeo's face inside the pod in a heated embrace with a nude female crew member straddling his lap.

A rhythm of banging came at a frenzied tempo, once again forcing the Rookie to retreat to another spot.

"Who isn't having sex on his damn ship?" he thought to himself "At least he lived up to his nickname."


	5. Mickey

Mickey

ONI Orbital Facility

1 Month after New Mombasa Drop

The Rookie blinked away the burning fatigue in his eyes. Most of the rooms he had visited either were already taken, leaving him frustrated. Moments after leaving the pod bay, he ran into a Mickey who told him that Romeo was using the pod bay to entertain an ODST groupie or "Hell Hotty" as they were called. Usually they were civilians who romanticized the ODST but sometimes they were in the UNSC.

"So can believe that last mission we were on?" asked Mickey "I'm not a big fan of Spartans but man I would've liked to have one back at that moment. Hell a dozen of them. I'd even settle for an Elite or two. What can I say? They both creep me out."

The Rookie nodded as Mickey followed him.

"So if we lose this one, where do you think we'll go? What will happen?" Mickey asked

The Rookie hadn't thought much about it. He guessed that the ONI spooks were working on this situation and had it ready in hand.

"I heard we'd make a run for one of the Halo rings. I don't know if I'd want to live on one but I guess anything's better than being glassed."

Mickey had never seen a glassing yet. Sure he had seen the ones on camera and had the same shock and surprise that everyone had. But for the ones who had seen a glassing up close, it changed them. Buck and Dutch still don't talk much about the experince.

"You think with the Flood running around they'd go after them instead of us for a change, if they exist at all. I don't' know about that. Invasion of the planet people. I guess being a member of Spore Society is worse than being killed."

That was the other scare that was going around the ranks. The Flood. Everyone heard the rumors of the race of boogie men. An ancient race that "consumed" everything. Made zombies. Hard to kill, even for the one Spartan who first experienced them.

"Too bad we can't those guys on our side. It'd be creepy sure. But if I can work with an Elite then I can work with the salad people. Speaking of which, I gotta get something to eat. You coming?"

The Rookie shook his head.

"Suit yourself Rookie. See you when the sergeant major arrives."


	6. Rookie

He thought about going back to the barracks. Even if Dutch was preaching loudly, there was the off chance he could fall asleep regardless. That is if Dutch wasn't leading the group in a hymn or gospel. Dutch preaching was one thing but Dutch singing was another. Romeo and Mickey joked that the deaths' head on Dutch's chest plate wasn't for all the Covies he killed but rather the notes he tried to sing.

It was then the Rookie realized there was one place he knew where he would able to get some rest. An area that was quiet. The one area on the ship that was under guard and restricted yet gave access to him. The research and repair room that held Vergil.

He didn't know how much time he had left but he ran to the room to find two guards standing near the door. They were dressed in ONI battle gear, an outfit similar to the armor J.D. wore but with a different helmet.

"Kinda early trooper. Can't wait to visit "lemon-fresh" inside there?" mocked one of the guards as he turned and punched in the key code.

"Maybe the jarhead here brought some cologne." Said the other guard as the door opened.

Marines never typically go along with ONI. It was like oil and water mixing, they could co-exist and even work together and could appreciate each other but will never get along. This was one of the moments that being the quiet one paid off as he was let inside the large room.

It was mostly empty since all the equipment that ONI had was now out in the field or sent to another facility planet side. J.D. let the door slide close behind him but couldn't fine any sign of the engineer.

Rookie whistled to signal his presence. A moment later a long worm like head peaked out from under the shadows of the stairs to the right. The Rookie held out his hand in a greeting that he taught it. Vergil floated closer and wrapped a tentacle around his hand and shook it.

The Engineers were a strange looking race even by alien standards. With long worm like head and appendages connected to a purple bloated balloon body. Vergil often got along with the Rookie. True the engineer was never unfriendly and was as always quiet, but it seemed to favor the Rookie most out of the squad. Both of them never spoke but the Rookie felt he had a sense of rapport with the alien.

Looking over to where Vergil was, the Rookie saw a broken camera from an unmanned drone. When he got closer, he could see Vergil was disassembling it. Vergil's species acted as combat support and repaired any damaged equipment. Engineers never actually got involved in the fight. He wasn't sure if they could fight but they were killed nonetheless due to their ability to giving shields to Covies.

With a sigh, the Rookie picked up the heavy piece of machinery and moved it to the center of the room. Vergil went back to playing with his new toy as J.D. moved a set of boxes under the stairs where the camera had been.

A pleasant relaxed sigh came from under his helmet as he sat down and put his feet up on the boxes. He checked the time on his helmet and saw a good solid half hour nap. Best of all he was sure he'd hear the door opening to alert him to get ready for the sergeant major or any intruder that may come in. He wasn't sure what the meeting was about but it could wait for now. The end of the world could wait for now as his breathing slowed and his head spun behind his closed eyes.

Vergil floated silently towards the resting Rookie with a sheet. It took a little effort but it placed the cloth over the sleeping soldier before going back to tinker on the camera. The sound of snoring its only music inside the big room.


End file.
